July 29, 2015

What a day!  Waking 5am to head off to the Atlanta Airport.  That is usually a task in itself, navigating Atlanta traffic, but today we had great favor and made it to the airport in record time!  No traffic, no accidents; we sailed right through.  That was the 1st miracle. Miracle #2, we walked into the terminal and had to check in her bags, we were looking for a line to stand in - who doesn't stand in a line when at the airport? - and there was no line!  We walked up to a smiling young man who took her luggage.  He says, "I've been waiting for you." And then asks, "You are sending off a missionary today?"  Come to find our he had just returned from his mission 2 weeks prior from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil!!  It was fun to talk to him. We watched her walk off to security, all ready to go.  No tears, just excitement for this great adventure she is starting!  Her Grandpa Rowbury picked her up at the SLC airport so she was able to contact us with miracle #3.  She met another Sister at the airport in Atlanta who is also going to Sao Paulo South.  Cross our fingers that they both go to Brazil on the same flight!  They will become fast friends at the MTC!  Miracle #4, our dear friend, Holly Reynolds, found her in the zoo of people at the SLC airport in the nick of time to give her a big hug and send-off.  Grandpa Rowbury was a proud Grandpa carrying our precious cargo to the Provo MTC.  He told a great story about his adventure of navigating Provo with a few illegal U turns and parking in a no parking zone to take one last picture with her Aunt Deone and cousins before he dropped her off to a cute, smiling sister at the MTC. He said they were so efficient there wasn't time to cry!  Get her bags out, say goodbye and off she went.  10 seconds max!!  He was quite emotional on the phone but held it together for her!  Thank you to Grandpa and Deone for being there.  We are so excited for our beautiful daughter!  These next 18 months will be full of learning, growing, praying, serving, loving and blessing.  I, Teri, will put together the blogs but from this time forth I will post her words as her emails come in.  Thank you for your support and interest in her mission!  Here's to the best 18 months of her life!!